For over 40 years, Grupo Camilo de Alimentos (GCA) has been a trusted name in Brazil’s northwest Paraná region. The group operates Camilo Atacadista and Camilo Supermercados chains, serving thousands of customers and managing an assortment of more than 15,000 items.
As part of its long-term modernization strategy, GCA set out to replace its legacy tools with an intelligent, AI-driven retail platform that could support continuous growth, automation, and data-based decision-making.
Challenges Before Implementation
Before partnering with LEAFIO AI, inventory management was handled through a legacy system, used primarily by the Supply and Demand department.
Operations were largely manual, and although the system provided some structure, the company still faced some limitations:
- Lack of automation and standardized best practices.
- Manual control of replenishment and ordering processes.
- Limited data utilization and visibility across stores and the distribution center.
- Frequent rework and operational inefficiencies.
GCA sought a unified solution capable of automating routine operations, optimizing assortment, and ensuring smooth coordination between the DC and store network.
Why LEAFIO AI?
The decision to adopt LEAFIO AI Retail Platform was motivated by the need for a more robust and intelligent solution that could integrate all stages of inventory and merchandising management.
LEAFIO stood out for its ability to:
- Combine Inventory Optimization and Shelf Efficiency in one platform.
- Merge demand, merchandising, and supply chain data for holistic visibility.
- Offer a user-friendly interface backed by strong technical support.
“Our goal was to optimize internal processes, including the operations of the Distribution Center and all our stores. When we realized the capabilities of the LEAFIO AI platform—with its high-level automation, AI, and BI—partnering with them was a strategic step toward sustainable growth.” —Vinicius Camilo, Market Intelligence Manager, GCA
Implementation Journey
Implementation was structured in phases, starting with an in-depth diagnostic of existing processes and pilot projects in selected stores. Gradual rollout followed—from the Distribution Center to stores, and later to external suppliers.
Each stage included targeted training sessions to ensure full adoption of the new workflows.
Cross-departmental collaboration was central to success. The Commercial, Supply, IT, and Operations teams worked under the coordination of the Supply Chain department, supported daily by LEAFIO’s project team through weekly progress reviews, data tests, and process adjustments.
This close partnership guaranteed a smooth transition with no disruption to ongoing operations.
Key Functional Changes
After implementation, GCA transformed its operational landscape:
- Automated replenishment and ordering, eliminating manual calculations.
- Standardized merchandising, with digital planograms for consistent store layouts.
- ERP–BI–Supply Chain integration, reducing human error and operational time.
- Improved visibility into stock levels, supplier performance, and demand forecasts.
Decision-making evolved from intuitive to data-driven, powered by predictive algorithms that allocate working capital more effectively and minimize operational losses.
Reports Most Used
Teams rely heavily on reports for:
- Lost sales
- Supplier performance
- Forecast accuracy
- Out-of-stock indicators
- OTIF (On-Time In-Full) performance
These dashboards provide instant visibility into root causes of overstock or shortage, enabling fast corrective actions and long-term strategic improvements.
Project Outcomes
By September 2025, the LEAFIO Inventory Optimization solution was managing nearly 40% of the active assortment, ensuring reliable data processing and order generation across the network.
- Assortment managed by the system: 41.7% (May ’25) → 38.5% (Sep ’25) — stable control level
- Lines sent by the system: 99.9% — demonstrating high operational reliability
Performance Results (Like-for-Like Analysis)
| Metric | Change | Comments & Insights |
|---|---|---|
| Feb – May 2025 (Initial Phase) | ||
| Sales | +11% | Strong growth supported by more active assortment and optimized layout |
| Average stocks | +4% | Slight inventory growth due to assortment expansion, directly contributing to higher sales |
| Overstocks | –4% | Early progress; fine-tuning of replenishment buffers expected to deliver further gains |
| Lost sales | –10% | Significant reduction; main improvement opportunities remain in "ghost" items and order scheduling |
| Stock turnover | –29% | |
| June – Sept 2025 (Stabilization Phase) | ||
| Lost sales | –67% | Strong improvement driven by optimized replenishment and promotion synchronization |
| Stock turnover | –8% | Normalization trend as assortment stabilizes and demand forecasting accuracy increases |
| Overstocks | –41% | Major reduction reflecting better DC–store coordination and working capital efficiency |
| Grocery availability | >70% | Notable improvement in on-shelf presence and product availability |
Additional Achievements
Idle layout capital reduction: from 43.8% to 15.9%, confirming higher capital efficiency through smarter stock allocation and assortment optimization.
Qualitative Results
- Higher confidence among teams in purchasing and replenishment decisions.
- Standardized workflows between stores and headquarters.
- Data-driven culture fostering interdepartmental collaboration.
- Improved customer satisfaction through stable assortments and product availability.
Management Perspective
GCA’s management recognizes the project as a turning point in its modernization journey. Implementing LEAFIO AI marked a strategic shift from reactive, manual processes to automated, analytical, and integrated operations—delivering greater predictability, agility, and profitability.
The joint efforts of GCA’s internal teams and LEAFIO AI specialists ensured deep process understanding and smooth adoption. The project also accelerated the company’s maturity in inventory, planogram, and data management, laying the foundation for future automation and AI initiatives.
Results Summary
Operational Outcomes:
- Reduced working capital and improved order accuracy.
- Stronger coordination between stores, DC, and suppliers.
- Enhanced reporting and process transparency.
Strategic Outcomes:
- Adoption of a sustainable, data-driven management model.
- Foundation for ongoing AI-based innovations in retail operations.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Grupo Camilo de Alimentos and LEAFIO AI exemplifies how intelligent automation and unified data management can transform retail operations. What began as a quest for efficiency evolved into a complete digital transformation of the supply chain—one that positions GCA for continued growth and resilience in Brazil’s competitive grocery and wholesale market.
